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Parts of San Joaquin County to switch garbage service to Waste Management

The rumors are true: Waste Management is taking over parts of San Joaquin County.

"We put it out to bid because we had some issues where actually city residents were across the street from county residents and they kind of started the conversation, 'How are the city folks paying less than the county folks, and the services weren't as good?'" San Joaquin County District 2 Board Supervisor Paul Canepa said.

After lots of negotiations, the county approved the switch from Republic Services to Waste Management late last year.

"We had a criteria of looking at price, services and local hire preference," San Joaquin County Public Works Deputy Director of Operations David Tolliver explained. "A multi-departmental committee was part of the selection process and we made a decision to select Waste Management as our new provider."

Waste Management will start services for 19,000 customers on Jan. 1, which includes parts of Stockton, Linden and French Camp.

"We know that we're promoting environmental stewardship and then also increasing the quality of life and for residents of San Joaquin County," Tolliver said. "We're excited."

Not only will Waste Management pick up recycling weekly instead of bi-weekly, they will also be picking up green waste.

On top of that, the county says customers will save big. 

"We were able to make it better for the residents and it's just huge," Canepa explained. "$2.7 million annually and over six years is almost $15 million. For the people and the cities, the constituents and the ratepayers for the garbage, to get that deal passed to them instead of the government taking it, is what government's supposed to do."

This is a 45% reduction in cost for customers.

So, say goodbye to your old trash cans because new ones will be arriving by the end of the year.

"Instead of costs going up, people are going to save money," Canepa said. "The government is actually doing what it's intended to do."

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